The Revelation of Jesus Christ
This is a Bible study of Revelation 1:1-8. Use your own Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, helping you discover what God is saying.
This is a Bible Study. Have your own Bible handy to look up the references I mention.
If you do not have a Bible, I invite you to go to BibleGateway.com or another online Bible.
Your familiarity may help you understand.
Is the Name of the last Book of the Bible plural? Or Singular?
Commonly accepted as written by John the Apostle
Various Interpretative approaches to Revelation:
1. Preterist: All of Revelation was fulfilled during the first century.
2. Historical: Revelation is being fulfilled during the history of the church.
3. Idealist: depiction of struggle between good and evil.
4. Futurist: It is all in the future. (MacArthur, New Testament Commentary: Revelation 1-11. [Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1999], 9)
1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ
1. The last book of the Bible tells how it all ends.
God chose John to give us the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
God did it to show what is coming.
This is you and me folks.
In Greek, the word translated bond-servants means slave
What does slave mean? A slave is owned by another.
Here it refers to a different type of slave—one who served out of love and devotion to his master (MacArthur, 18)
Exodus 21:5-6
Jesus owns those who have accepted him as their Lord and Savior.
Does this put sin in a different light for you?
It tells us what is going to happen in the End Times.
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 2 Peter 3:8
Think about it since Jesus was on earth it has only been two days!
God is not concerned about time.
Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42
God sent an angel to deliver His message to John.
Notice the progression here
(Easley, Kendell H., Holman New Testament Commentary: Revelation. [Nashville: B&H, 1998], 12)
(McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume V.[Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 888)
| God | ||||
| Jesus Christ | ||||
| Angel | ||||
| John | ||||
| Servants |
2. Did you catch this?
John is a witness for the Word of God, but who provides the testimony? Jesus
Blessed
3. You are blessed:
• When you read Revelation
• Hear the words of this prophecy
• Keep those things written in it (Easley, 13)
When John wrote his letters and Revelation how were they distributed?
They were handwritten and taken from church to church.
Take away all the modern technology and our printed Bibles:
Just think about listening to a preacher read the Words of the Bible.
In Nehemiah 8 Ezra read from morning until midday.
Think about how long we are willing to listen to someone reading the Bible.
It was the 1400’s before the printing press was invented.
4.This is the salutation to the letter.
“‘The province of Asia’ is a reference to what has been called Asia Minor in the ancient world or in modernity the Asian portion of the country of Turkey.” (Patterson, The New American Commentary, Volume 39 Revelation. [B & H Publishing Group, 2012], 57)
( Map A ) is a Map of the Seven Churches*
Grace to you and peace
Do not be frightened when studying the Book of Revelation
It brings grace and peace
God, past, present, and future
This refers to the Holy Spirit but there is only one Holy Spirit.
The number seven depicts Him in His fullness (Isaiah 11:2 and Zechariah 4:1-10) (MacArthur, 25)
5. From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness.
Faithful witness
Speaks the truth (MacArthur, 25)
Who is the faithful witness? Jesus
The firstborn of the dead
There were others who were raised from the dead, including Lazarus.
In Psalm 89:27 God said
“Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.”
That makes Jesus the begotton of the dead.
Prince of the kings of the earth.
Jesus is the King of the world.
He Loves us.
Jesus paid for our sins on the cross!
We are free!
Our Priest
6. We are our own priest.
We enter this kingdom when we accept Jesus as our Savior. (Colossians 1:13)
We have direct access to God the Father (MacArthur, 26) (1 Peter 2:9-10)
We need to Praise Him.
Titles which are given to Jesus:
1. Faithful Witness
2. Firstborn from the dead
3. Ruler of kings
4. To Him who loved us
5. Washed us from sins with His own blood
6. Made us kings and priests to His God and Father
7. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. (McGee, 890)
We enter His kingdom by believing in Him. (Romans 10:8-10)
7. He is coming with the clouds
This verse records the first prophecy of Revelation.
The return of Jesus:
(God) cometh with clouds.
God led the Israelites by a cloud (Exodus 13:21-22)
Coming with clouds (Daniel 7:13)
Jesus ascended in a cloud (Acts 1:9)
Jesus will come on the clouds when He returns (Matthew 24:30)
Every eye will see Him
Even on the other side of the earth.
They also which pierced Him.
Who pierced Jesus?
Does it refer to the Roman soldiers who crucified Him?
Or does it refer to the Jews who wanted Him crucified? (Zechariah 12:10)
All kindredsof the earth shall wail because of him.
NIV translates this as: all peoples on earth
Those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior (Romans 10:8-10)
Alpha and Omega
8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega”
The Lord God is speaking:
Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
We would say the “A and the Z.” The Beginning and the End.
All knowledge
The Almighty
“Almighty God” is found 8 times in Revelation.
God’s power is supreme
Scripture quotations from the Holy Bible, King James Version.
Quotations taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Easley, Kendell H., Holman New Testament Commentary: Revelation. Nashville: B&H, 1998
MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary: Revelation 1-11. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1999
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume V. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
Patterson, Paige The New American Commentary, Volume 39 Revelation. B & H Publishing Group, 2012
